The Next Nissan Z-Car Could Still Become A Crossover

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Why? Just why?

Just over a year ago Nissan revealed a crossover concept called the Gripz, described as having the “silhouette of a sports car with a raised ride height.” We were not happy with the second part of that sentence, especially since the Gripz could very well be the next-generation Z-car in concept disguise. Could the Gripz be the 370Z’s successor? According to a report from CarAdvice, Nissan isn’t denying that a crossover could be the next Z-car. Then again, nor is it confirming but still, a flat-out denial would make us all breathe a sigh of relief.

Nissan of Europe’s chairman, Paul Wilcox, told CarAdvice that, regarding whether or not we’ll see a raised Z, that "The important point is, what is part of the Nissan brand? And I think dynamic performance is part of that heritage. I wouldn’t rule anything in or anything out, but we don’t comment on future products." We’ve all heard that last bit countless times before. Anyway, the fact of that matter is that crossovers, of any size, are big sellers these days. Wilcox made no secret of Nissan’s intent to focus on crossovers: "We’re going to focus on (vehicles such as) crossovers, and having the right products to complement that."

Just days after the Gripz concept was revealed, we began to see renderings of it modified with a lower ride height, and we liked what we saw. Here’s hoping Nissan prefers a traditional sports car, as opposed to one that’s been jacked up a few inches.